Money Woes
The Situation
It is that time of year again-budget hearings for your school district. As a promising new teacher, your principal as asked you to serve as one of two faculty representatives who attend the hearings and report back to the PTA executive board and the faculty. This could be a tedious evening! Yet your colleague, Ernestine Garcia, an experienced teacher, urges you to keep your ears open, suggesting you will learn a lot tonight about the school system and the community.
To your surprise, the discussion is fairly lively and full of controversy. The first speaker, the president of the local teacher's union, hints that the union will soon be seeking a higher salary scale and more preparation time for teachers; as a fledgling union member, you find it easy to agree with his premises. The next speaker, however, the head of Taxpayers United Against Tax Increases, bluntly argues that the community will not stand for tax increases, regardless of what the schools or teachers may need. She presents statistics showing that the local tax burden is among the highest in the state (so much for the pay raise). Next a representative of the Committee for Safe Schools deplores the leaking roofs, dilapidated school buildings, and (worst of all) the asbestos problem in several district schools. These matters must be addressed immediately, she contends, and they involve "big money." Then the chairperson of the Ad Hoc Citizen's Council rises to demand that the school district apply the principles of effective business management: less spending, less waste, more efficiency, and more accountability for results.
What, you wonder, should you and Ernestine say to the PTA board and the faculty? And where do you stand on these issues?
Thought Questions
- Based on what you have read about the different tax sources for school revenue, what is your evaluation of the position stated by the head of Taxpayers United? How would you respond to her?
- What do you believe would be a fair and effective way to fund schools?
- How would you react if your school district needed to replace your school building but wasn't sure how to obtain the money?
